Strong Start to Finish supports the scaling of evidence-based developmental education reforms in 14 higher education systems across the U.S.
Strong Start to Finish Sites
Arkansas Division of Higher Education
Partner since: 2018
Success to date: Partnered with technical assistance providers, as well as faculty from the state’s 22 two-year and 10 four-year institutions, to scale corequisite course design for math and English to dramatically improve completion rates for students.
Area of focus: Training faculty and leadership in evidence-based teaching and learning practices for English corequisite courses.
Dana Center Math Pathways Arkansas
City University of New York
Partner since: 2018
Success to date: Supported and trained faculty members to increase completion rates of students in math and English corequisites by improving their online and in-person teaching practices.
Area of focus: Mobilizing their team of central office administrators, campus leaders and faculty to engage all 10 of its open admission associate-granting institutions and ensure all students have a strong start to finish their degree.
The Colorado Department of Higher Education
Partner since: 2020
Prior focus: Certifying 80% of advisors with a newly designed professional credential by fall 2021.
Current Area of Focus: Evaluate institutional approaches to multiple measures and self-guided placement practices currently being implemented across the Colorado Community College System. Funding will also increase capacity for corequisite courses at three four-year Hispanic Serving Institutions, be used to better align K-12 and postsecondary math pathways and train advisors to support students transitioning to postsecondary education.
Foundation for California Community Colleges
Partner since: 2019
Success to date: With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and SStF professional networks, FCCC increased the number of students completing math and English gateway courses in the first year of study at all 115 public two-year institutions.
Area of focus: Refining and improving data collection on gateway math and English courses, and the student supports being offered in conjunction with those courses, to further identify best practices.
The Louisiana Board of Regents
Partner since: 2020
Prior focus: Implementing scaled, evidence-based corequisite math plans at all 28 Louisiana public undergraduate institutions by fall 2021.
Current Area of Focus: Develop professional learning opportunities for faculty teaching corequisite courses. Faculty from the state’s 28 public 2- and 4-year institutions, including four Historically Black Colleges and Universities, will participate in a community of practice focused on improving corequisite classroom pedagogy. These faculty development courses complement and expand on existing developmental education reform efforts in the state. All of these reform efforts aim to increase the number of students who successfully complete credit-bearing courses in math and English.
Michigan Center for Student Success
Partner since: 2023
Current Area of Focus: Develop a community of practice for institutions implementing guided self-placement. These funds will also create professional learning opportunities focused on improving corequisite math courses and strengthening math pathways. While the community of practice will target its supports to institutions currently engaging in guided self-placement practices, faculty at all 31 tribal and community colleges will have access to the state’s math-focused professional learning opportunities.
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Partner since: 2020
Area of focus: Ensuring that all students pursuing non-STEM pathways have access to college-level courses — with supports — by fall 2021.
Nevada System of Higher Education
Partner since: 2020
Area of focus: Working to require that all students at their seven institutions be advised about and enrolled in gateway math and English courses, with or without corequisite support, by fall 2021.
Nevada System of Higher Education
Partner since: 2020
Area of focus: Working to require that all students at their seven institutions be advised about and enrolled in gateway math and English courses, with or without corequisite support, by fall 2021.
Ohio Department of Higher Education
Partner since: 2017
Success to date: ODHE formed a coalition with the Association of Community Colleges and Inter-University Council to ensure that students in Ohio’s 30 public two-year and four-year institutions enter into successful pathways for college completion. They redesigned gateway math and English programs and implemented corequisites while also addressing attainment gaps for historically underserved populations.
Area of focus: Supporting a productive faculty mindset and implementing culturally responsive pedagogy.
Ohio Department of Higher Education
Partner since: 2017
Success to date: ODHE formed a coalition with the Association of Community Colleges and Inter-University Council to ensure that students in Ohio’s 30 public two-year and four-year institutions enter into successful pathways for college completion. They redesigned gateway math and English programs and implemented corequisites while also addressing attainment gaps for historically underserved populations.
Area of focus: Supporting a productive faculty mindset and implementing culturally responsive pedagogy.
Oregon Community College Association
Partner since: 2020
Area of focus: Implementing transferable corequisite courses for STEM and non-STEM math pathways for the 2021-22 academic year.
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Partner since: 2020
Area of focus: Creating guidelines for corequisite math instruction that will be adopted for implementation at most universities in the PASSHE system beginning fall 2021 with support from SStF and ECS.
The State University of New York
Partner since: 2017
Success to date: Expanded the corequisite English Accelerated Learning Program to provide system-wide support for campus-level leaders and faculty in accelerating guided math pathways.
Area of focus: Developing and implementing a new multiple measures placement policy at both the system and institutional level.
Tennessee Board of Regents
Partner since: 2020
Prior focus: Developing insights into remediation reforms at their colleges, sharing these insights, designing action steps, disseminating implementation tools and creating tailored supports for institutions.
Current Area of Focus: Support three community colleges that plan to implement innovative practices addressing the timing, delivery, and alignment of corequisites. Additionally, the state will develop a Learning Support Ambassadors program and a Learning Support Academy that will consistently convene a selection of faculty and advisors from all 13 community colleges. During these convenings, faculty will discuss best practices for corequisites and engage in shared learning throughout.
University System of Georgia
Partner since: 2017
Success to date: Spearheaded by the system office and engaging all 26 institutions, USG-SStF has supported students in making a purposeful program choice and enrolling in clearly designed degree pathways that begin with completion of a gateway math and English course in the first year of study.
Area of Focus: Developing and scaling a statistics pathway available for students in non-STEM degree programs.
